Theos-Talk Archives (September 1997 Message tl00415)

"Jerry Schueler" <gschueler@netgsi.com> wrote:

> I agree that the Law corrects, and I usually think of karma itself as a
> balancing action. However, I do not believe in a personal or
> anthropromorphic God who punishes and rewards, such as Jehovah is pictured
> (as Jung wrote, such a God as described in the Bible is disfunctional).

What I mean by God is probably close to what you do.  God is Spirit.  There
are nevertheless, finite beings who represent Him/Her.

> The problem, as I see it, is the notion that we are here to learn something.
> Yes, if you bang your fist into a wall it hurts. The punishment is instant
> and consistant. So, how many times do we hit the wall till we learn not to?
> When reward or punishment is swift and constant, learning takes place pretty
> quick.

I can see your analogy with some kinds of learning, but I wonder if it is
really fair or true to apply it globally.  If I were corrected for every
little detail of my mistakes instantly, I doubt I would have enough continuity
or gain enough of a conception of the whole to have a point de depart.  We can
only assimilate so many lessons in an interval of time.  For example, in
learning a language: A child learns the regular verbs and is not corrected
instantly for every irregular verb, because it would confuse him
unnecessarily.  We need a certain looseness on the leash of our karma to learn
the ABCs.  As we evolve, our karma is quickened because we can better
assimilate the lessons as quickly as the karma.

That is why I don't look down on those with quickened karma.  If they are in
the middle of a karmic state I say, "God must really want him or her!"

> But when we really think about it, its patently absurd to suggest that we
> need thousands of lifetimes to learn such a simple thing as compassion.

I don't think it's absurd.  Love demands a LOT of collateral virtues.  Anyway,
what are a few thousands of lifetimes to eternity?

Jerry, my friend, you raise good questions.  I value discussions that bring
out additional facets of the issue.  Arguments go in circles, but I think
we're more in a spiral here.